Understanding Benefits

Responsible Investing

Through the ELCA Pension and Other Benefits Program, Portico strives to empower members to live well for life — physically, financially, and emotionally. By living well as whole people of God, we can better enhance the lives of others — doing God’s work in Christ’s name for the sake of the world.

News & Education

Pre-Retirement Seminars & Webinars

Walk in or Tune in

If you're over age 40, attending a Pre-Retirement Seminar or webinar is a great way to kick-start your retirement plan or keep the momentum going. Hosted by Portico, the seminar and webinars address some of the important questions you may have about retirement, including:

How does retirement fit in with my other financial priorities?

How much do I need to save for retirement?

How can I distribute income from my ELCA Retirement Plan account?

What health care options will be available to me after I retire?

Both events allow time for questions along the way.

Attend a Seminar

Day-long seminars are held in select locations across the country, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Join us for the morning to learn how to invest for your future in the midst of current financial goals. Come in the afternoon to discover ways to create a sustainable income in retirement. Cost is $35 per person for the whole day, or $20 per person for those attending a single session. Lunch and refreshments are served. View seminar schedule

Watch Webinars

This free, two-part series is hosted by a team of experienced Portico staff and financial planners. Join us for the first session to explore your picture of retirement and how much it might cost. Join us for the second session to explore how you can create a sustainable income in retirement. During the webinars, you’ll be able to submit your questions. We’ll send you a personalized response within two business days.
View webinar scheduleView webinar recordings

Combine the Two

If you have attended a prior Pre-Retirement Seminar, a webinar can help you brush up on retirement topics. You can also watch the pre-retirement webinar series as you wait for a seminar to come to an area near you.

Upcoming Seminars

Time: All Pre-Retirement Seminars are day-long events that run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.Cost: $35 per person for the whole day, or $20 per person for a single session. Lunch and refreshments will be served.

Dates and locations are subject to change or cancellation. Additional seminar dates and locations will be posted at a later date.

Pre-retirement Webinars: Robust and Portable

Our pre-retirement webinars make it easy to learn about retirement planning anytime, anywhere. This free series is hosted by a team of experienced Portico staff and financial planners. When you register for a live webinar, you’re be able to submit your questions during the event. Each webinar is then archived and available for online viewing anytime.

Dig In: Take an Action Step

Can I Afford to Retire?

5 Things You Can Do Today

Create your picture of retirement, including your larger goals as well as day-to-day activities. When will you retire? How will you spend your time? Where will you live? Envision your perfect day from beginning to end. If you have a spouse or partner, be sure to have this conversation together.

Complete a budget that aligns with your picture of retirement. People generally spend about 85% of their current budget once they retire. Looking for a template to get started on today’s budget? Fill out this form. Once you know what you’re spending today, use your picture of retirement to estimate where you might spend more or less than you do today. Don’t forget to account for the rising health care costs as well as life and long-term care insurance premiums. Need a little help? Call a Portico Financial Planner.

Use Portico’s Retirement Planning Tool to see if you’re on track for retirement and explore how you might make the most of your remaining working years. Portico’s Retirement Planning Tool can help you and your spouse create a retirement plan in four straightforward steps. As part of the retirement planning process, the tool may recommend that you change your investment mix and/or increase your pretax contributions to your ELCA Retirement Plan account. If you choose, you can make these changes while using the tool by implementing (versus saving) your plan. Looking for more information about investing? Watch the “Can I Afford to Retire?” webinar for general investing strategies and detailed information about the ELCA Retirement Plan.

Take a step toward making the most of your remaining working years. This might be a good time for you to begin contributing more to your retirement account or to reallocate your investment mix — based on the tool’s guidance. You might also want to take a step back and modify your vision of retirement by reducing your income goal, retiring later, or working in retirement. Want to strengthen other areas of your well-being as you prepare for this next phase? Watch the “Transition to Retirement” webinar; Deacon Tammy Devine and Grace Pomroy discuss how retirement might affect all areas of your well-being.

Start a relationship with a Portico Financial Planner or check in with your financial planner. Want a helping hand as you prepare for retirement? Call a Portico Financial Planner at 800.922.4896 for financial guidance from someone who understands the blessings and challenges of ministry — at no out-of-pocket cost to you. Whether you have a specific question or you’re not sure where to start, Portico Financial Planners are ready to help. Already have your own planner? This is a great time to check in with him or her to be sure your retirement goals are on track. Do you and your planner want to learn more about your ELCA benefits? Our planners are happy to have a conversation with you and your planner.

Can I Create a Sustainable Income in Retirement?

4 Things You Can Do Today:

Learn about your ELCA Retirement Plan distribution options. Investigate your options — an ELCA Participating Annuity, systematic withdrawals, or a combination of both. Want to see what you can expect from the annuity? Check out our ELCA Retirement Plan Annuity Options Calculator. Want to dig deeper? Join us for the “Ready to Retire” webinar on Nov. 6 from 1 – 2:30 p.m. (Central).

Determine what you can expect to receive from Social Security and consider how you might maximize this important benefit. Sign in or create an account on the Social Security website to see what your retirement benefit amount might be. Want a helping hand in understanding Social Security and how to maximize your benefit payments? Contact a Portico Financial Planner at 800.922.4896.

Inventory your retirement income sources. Create a spreadsheet that lists your anticipated income sources for retirement. Review the slides from webinar 2 for a complete list of the possible income sources we discussed. Be as detailed and precise as possible in your spreadsheet.

Create a plan for your retirement income with the help of a Portico Financial Planner. A Portico Financial Planner can help you create an income plan that combines your ELCA Retirement Plan distribution options with your other retirement income sources. Making a plan is especially important once you’re within a few years (or months) of your retirement date — doing so can help you retire with confidence. And, an income plan can also be helpful if you’re 5-10 years out and just want to see if you are on track.

Plan member rights under the plans are governed by the plan documents, which are the full, legal descriptions of the plans. If any of the information on this page is inconsistent with the corresponding plan document, the plan document is the controlling document.